Mould Making for Glass (Glass Handbooks)

Nearly 15 years ago Ms. Thwaites participated in a research project exploring glass casting methods, for the Royal College of Art. The results of that project became a CD, "Mixing with the Best," which was quietly passed around glass casting circles for years and remains bloody difficult to find.I'll bet that if you asked 100 casters how to cast glass, you'd receive 90 different (and sometimes conflicting) answers. There are so many variables in glass casting that, as another reviewer said, it is not a matter of following a fixed set of rules. Rather, successful glass casting requires a deep understanding of the role each component plays in the outcome, and how to adjust them to achieve the desired result.Thwaite's book does a good job of explaining this, extending that excellent CD with more contemporary examples. She offers recipes for refractory mixes, shows how some of the best in the craft develop their work, and suggests firing schedules and processes for different types of work.Above all, it's an entertaining read. I've been casting for many years, and it still gives me ideas every time I open it. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the casting of glass.

Excellent book!However, if you have any qualms about UK centric descriptions and measurements, you may wish to find a British friend to 'splain it to you. My biggest problem has been finding American equivalent products with differing trade names; not really a problem at all.Beautifully photographed, wish it was a larger folio size just so I could see the pictures better. Recipes for mold mixes refer to material and firing descriptions elsewhere in the book. Lots of information, focused on glass. Recommended.

This little book is a nice, fairly technical book with additional resources mentioned that also panned out to be what I was looking for. I wanted something I could refer to for a specific technique and then do more research if necessary - and this book met that requirement. Even carries suggested receipes for mold mixes based on uses. Quite pleased with it and one of those books I read from beginning to end and then placed on the reference shelf.

This is the best mould making book I have come across. The information is very technical and allows a greater understanding as to why we use different materials and gives it from a scientific perspective. I have been casting glass for a few years now and have always been taught that you mix plaster and silica, but without a lot of answers about why certain people use one ratio over another not to mention the additives and what ratio you use those in. This book explains the differences between alpha a beta plasters as well as how the particle size of the materials help (or hinder) in the strength of a mould. I plan to use this book in future classes with students that are seriously interested in classes.

Mould Making for Glass (Glass Handbooks) This a great book. I have studied glass all over the world, and none of the classes I took went into so much detail about what the different ingredients in a mould do. Most instructors simply teach - "this what I do" and not "this is why I do what I do." The reason the WHY is important is that if you are interested in developing your own techniques or run into material variations, for example that plaster of paris is different in Australia than it is in the United States, with this book you can look at the research for similar problems and find your solutions rather than just taking a shot in the dark and adding things that you think might help. It is a great book and is going to be my holiday gift of choice for all the glass casters in my life. I was so excited reading this book I couldn't put it down.

Great resource for anyone who wants to work with glass as a hobby, Ideas, firing points, a little chemistry, and lots of really good pictures to help the hobbyist figure out how to design and make the molds for slumping glass

Interesting , somewhat informative. It is a limited subject, and here are only so many formulas for molds, I guess. Felt a little thin on the how to specifics I really need. Very nice photography. More in-depth info, please!

This book has a ton of detail for making medium to large work. I wanted to make molds from ceramic clay (to fire the glass in) and no details on this. Still I need all the other info in the book. This book will make you dream and realize that you can work much bigger and bolder than you ever have.

This is a great book with clear explanation and images to help you understand the mould making process for glass casting. It has been extremely helpful to me when developing my own glass making practice.

Love this book, I read it at a library, and I just had to get my own copy!

Un tour d'horizon des différentes techniques de "glass casting" au four ou de pâte de verre en France, en définition plus large.Actuellement le meilleur ouvrage que j'ai pu lire même si le livre parait petit sur le sujet, bloomsbury propose toujours des contenus pratiques et complets dans ses collections.Il contient pas mal de conseils pour la conception des modèles (cire,...), moules, recettes de plâtres réfractaires adaptées suivant la forme/type de pièce à mouler. Les types de verres, courbes de cuissons et le parachèvement sont un peu survolés, d'autres ouvrages peuvent compléter pour se lancer. A noter, je trouve les quelques exemples de travaux pour illustrer les chapitres, plutôt bien choisis et variés dans la technique et le style.

I'm wanting to make a glass cabochon to fit a ring and this book tells me everything I needed to know and more, looking forward to experimenting with different moulds.

This is a very informative book for the intermediate level glass artist. It is dry, but that comes with the subject matter, its scientific and precise :)